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Thomas Brewster
@iblametom
Senior writer covering security, surveillance and privacy for @Forbes. Tip me anything sensitive on Signal: +1 929-512-7964. Email: [email protected].
London
forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
Born April 28
Joined May 2010
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Jan 23
    🚨 SCOOP 🚨 Microsoft gives encryption keys to the FBI to unlock data on seized computers. Comes from a fraud case in Guam. But Microsoft tells me it gets around 20 requests for BitLocker keys a year. How many keys has it given to feds over the years?
    Microsoft Gave FBI Keys To Unlock Encrypted Data, Exposing Major Privacy Flaw
    From forbes.com
    1.6K
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Apr 1, 2019
    New - So Martin Shkreli has been placed in solitary confinement after WSJ reported he was running a business from prison, sources say. forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Mar 22, 2024
    🚨 SCOOP 🚨 In unprecedented warrants, US agents repeatedly asked Google to provide names, addresses, phone numbers of ALL users who watched certain YouTube videos. The vids have thousands of views. "Terrifying" and "unconstitutional," say critics. forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
    375K
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Jun 4, 2024
    🚨 SCOOP 🚨 Google's chief privacy officer is out after 13 years at the company. Google is also retiring the role. Matthew Bye, Google’s head of competition law, is also gone after 15 years. Huge exec departures during turbulent times. forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
    467K
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Oct 9, 2024
    🚨 SCOOP 🚨 Apple ran a conference for cops, hosting at Cupertino. Called the Apple Global Police Summit, it welcomed cops from seven countries to talk about how they use Apple tech, from iPhones to CarPlay to Vision Pro. And yes, for surveillance apps.
    Exclusive: Inside Apple’s Secretive Global Police Summit
    From forbes.com
    95K
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Mar 15, 2022
    NEW - They’re fixing internet in bombed out buildings, finding rogue operators providing Russians with mobile connections and thwarting hackers… The telecom companies of Ukraine and their employees are being hailed as heroes in the war with Russia. forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Aug 15, 2018
    This is an insane case, so I'll start a thread. Here's what went down: A spate of armed robberies hit at least nine locations in Portland, Maine, in March. The government orders Google to find all users who were within 2 of 9 locations, covering a total of 45 hectares...
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Aug 15, 2018
    New - To Catch A Robber, The FBI Attempted An Unprecendeted Grab For Google Location Data forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Jul 13, 2020
    New exclusive investigation - Meet Mitre Corporation, the nonprofit that gets up to $2 billion every year from US agencies to do all manner of national security, surveillance and healthcare work, much of it done in secret. Get ready for some scoops...
    Inside America’s Secretive $2 Billion Research Hub Collecting Fingerprints From Facebook, Hacking...
    From forbes.com
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Jul 29, 2021
    SCOOP - There’s a new NSO competitor in town and its funded with $5-10 million of US venture capital. It’s called Paragon Solutions and sources tell me it’s speciality lies in getting messages from encrypted messengers like WhatsApp and Signal.
    Meet Paragon: An American-Funded, Super-Secretive Israeli Surveillance Startup That ‘Hacks WhatsApp...
    From forbes.com
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Oct 14, 2021
    SCOOP - And a wild one… Fraudsters used “deep voice” tech - as in deep fake for speech - to clone a company director’s voice. They then convinced a bank manager to send $35 million to various accounts across the world. AI-powered cybercrime is big.
    Fraudsters Cloned Company Director’s Voice In $35 Million Heist, Police Find
    From forbes.com
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Mar 4, 2020
    Replying to @iblametom
    New - @planetbeing and the @CorelliumHQ crew have released Android for iPhone. I've tried it on an iPhone 7 running iOS 13.3. It works. It has Signal. And you'll be able to try it too! Meet Project Sandcastle: forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Sep 17, 2024
    I asked an ex-IDF intel agent about this. They don't think it was a remote hack. It's more likely that devices were intercepted, explosive capability put on the pager, and then software tampered with to make sure the devices exploded when a specific message came in.
    user avatar
    Forbes
    @Forbes
    Sep 17, 2024
    Wireless Devices Explode In Lebanon, Injuring Hundreds Of Hezbollah Members go.forbes.com/c/oUmx
    365K
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Feb 7, 2021
    New - An analysis of 226 DOJ charging documents shows Facebook was far and away the most used social media platform used by those charged in the January 6 siege of Capitol Hill. forbes.com/sites/thomasbr…?
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    Thomas Brewster
    @iblametom
    Jan 9, 2020
    New - This is pretty bad. The FCC funds a program offering free Android phones to low-income people. The Android phones come pre-loaded with Chinese malware... that you can't remove. Wtf.
    U.S. Funds Program With Free Android Phones For The Poor — But With Permanent Chinese Malware
    From forbes.com